Audi A8
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Engine family
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2 offered
Audi A8 4.2L V8
The Audi is the most common engine code the VIN decodes to on the 4.2L V8 configurations below; hybrid variants of the same displacement carry their own code. Rated at 300–372 hp. We decode it on 7,328 VINs across 23 factory builds, and 98 listings are reported active. The configuration price reference is $9,950.
- Cylinders
- 8
- Power
- 300–372 hp
- Induction
- Naturally aspirated
- Fuel
- Gasoline
- Fitted
- 1997–2012
- Gearboxes
- Automatic
◷ Updated September 12, 2026 ▤ National asking prices, refreshed nightly
The price reference is the median of configuration medians, not the median of all active cars. Each configuration has equal weight. Configurations with at least 3 priced listings are used when available; otherwise the reference uses the configurations with a recorded price. Model years, mileage and condition vary. Open a model-year report below for its asking prices across all engines.
Where the 4.2L 8-cyl sits in the A8 engine lineup
Every engine family this model was sold with, ordered by size. The bar spans the model years recorded for it; the price is a reference across priced configurations, with each configuration weighted equally. Older engines look cheaper because the cars are older — overlapping years alone do not match the vehicles by age, trim, mileage or condition.
2 engine families, one nameplate. Open the Audi A8 price hub to compare them side by side, or to jump into any of the others.
Which A8 years got a 4.2L 8-cyl engine
Every model year this engine was fitted to, newest first. The bar is how much of the family's VIN volume sits in that year — long bars are the years this engine was everywhere.
VIN counts come from our decode of the model's build patterns, not from live listings. A year link opens the full A8 report for that year — every engine of the model, not just this one.
23 factory configurations with this engine
Each one is a distinct build as the VIN decodes it — trim, body, gearbox and equipment. Open a build sheet for its full spec and the VINs recorded on it.
2012
2 builds2011
2 builds2010
1 build2009
2 builds2008
2 builds2007
2 builds2006
2 builds2005
2 builds2003
1 build2002
1 build2001
1 build1999
1 build1998
1 build1997
1 buildShowing the 21 most-built configurations of 23. Every 2012 A8 build →
The 4.2L 8-cyl A8: common questions
Which A8 years have the 4.2L 8-cyl?
1997–2012, without a break — 16 model years in our VIN decode, across 23 factory configurations and 7,328 VINs.
What does a 4.2L 8-cyl A8 cost?
$9,950 is a configuration price reference: the median of configuration medians, with each priced configuration weighted equally. It is not a listing-level median or a valuation of an individual car. The year-by-year ladder shows VIN and inventory counts; its links open model-year price reports covering all engines.
What is the engine code, and does it matter?
Audi — the code the VIN decodes to on the configurations on this page. It matters when you order parts or read a service history: the same displacement badge on another model can be a different code with different outputs.
4.2L 8-cyl A8 on the market
Individual vehicles carrying this engine, each with its own listing-history page. The sample is pinned to fixed VIN buckets, so it does not reshuffle day to day.